Magnitude 6.3

New Zealand earthquake upgraded to magnitude 6.3

The long, strong quake hit at 7.38pm, at a depth of 50km north-west of Paraparaumu.

More than 60,500 people indicated they felt it on the Geonet website, with about 40 percent of them saying it felt moderate or stronger.

RNZ reports GNS Science duty seismologist Jen Andrews said when earthquakes occurred at that depth, they tended to be very widely felt.

"The energy gets sort of pushed up and around very very efficiently by an event at this depth."